St Josephs Youth 88 FC will make history next week as the first girls’ football team ever to tour St Kitts and Nevis.
Eleven of the U16 team will wind down from sitting their GCSE exams by jetting off to the tiny Caribbean islands on Tuesday to take part in three tournaments to help promote girls football in the region.
The idea which has earned the club a Mixed Blessings Award for working for the benefit of communities from the St Kitts and Nevis Football Federation stemmed from a visit to the island last year by Hazel Sawyers, whose daughter Manirah plays in the team.
Mrs Sawyers, a Trinidadian by birth admits her original suggestion was seen as madcap, but some frantic fundraising and arm twisting later the proposed end of season tour to Skegness was ditched in favour of one to much warmer climes.
“When I first suggested it to the management the reaction was yes right, but the whispers about it reached the girls and they really wanted to go,” she said.
“It will be a bit like the ‘Cool Runnings’ film in reverse now as I’m sure it won’t be easy playing in the heat, but it wasn’t easy for the Jamaican bobsleigh team in the snow either.”
Arrangements at the St Kitts & Nevis end were fairly straightforward with Mrs Sawyer paying them a visit while on the island.
“Just think how long it could take to organise a meeting with the English FA,” she said, "but over there it is basically a shop front and you knock the door and go in, so I just started to think this is possible.”
There was plenty of fundraising to be done back here though with fares, accommodation and other expenses to be found, so a brochure was created selling advertising space at £250 a page – it found many takers.
However, the players have thrown themselves into things too with an Elvis night and a onesies walk around Kenton recreation ground all helping to swell the coffers for what Mrs Sawyers admits could be a swansong for manager Carl Chappin and his team, many of whom have been together since the age of six.
“It could be,” she added, "because so many of the girls are going off to different colleges, but maybe our tours can be an advert for girls’ football in Harrow and gain us a few more players.
“Whatever happens league wise I’d like us to do a tour to Ireland next year as many of the girls are from Irish backgrounds.“I’m sure the girls would be keen and would get others from their colleges to come and play.”
